Photo: Supplied.
CONTRIBUTED BY ADELIA BERRIDGE
Thorneside railway station, on the Cleveland line in Queensland, opened in 1889 as Waterloo, later closing and reopening multiple times, including as Ransome’s Siding, before becoming Thorneside in 1917. The station closed again in 1960, but reopened in 1982 as part of the line’s reconstruction, serving as an interim terminus for the extended commuter line from Lota.
The Joh Bjelke-Petersen Government instructed the Council to plan unit development along Railway Parade and at the corner of Thorneside Road, where shops now serve commuters, unaware that this area was once a 10-acre horse-trotting track.
Someone who has long ties to a place is often called ‘rooted’, but Vic Arthur is truly ‘part of the furniture’ – he owns the last protected acreage in the area, safeguarded by his environmental protection order against development.
“I did this in 1992, when I realised my street (Fisher Road) was being redeveloped for units. My neighbour, who had collected cooking oil for backwashing and candle-making, received a visit from Council instructing him to shut down the place. Then the units went on this land. Then, a redevelopment sign was on the land next door, opposite my house, that we all assumed had been a park. It was a shock!”
Vic distributed flyers for a public meeting that drew 130 locals, Mayor Len Keogh, and local councillors. With elections near and strong community opposition, the council agreed to remove the signs. “We thought it was over until new signs appeared months later.”
After an initial motion to turn the treed area into a park failed, a council change led to its approval. Although there was debate over naming it Vic Arthur Park in 2009, objections on the grounds that parks should not be named after people were dismissed, as Redlands had parks named after councillors.
Vic admits to tying 20-foot banners between trees, accusing the Council of heartless destruction of koala trees.
“I replaced the Council signs with my own sign, calling it ‘Battle Park’ and left pamphlets on the signs explaining the name derived after one heck of a battle.”
Now in his 80s, Vic is still known for his willingness to fight to protect this park and other areas, such as Andy’s Court and Penny Lane, from development, but that’s another story.
